Lakeport >> For the 13th year running, amateurs and professionals came together on Saturday for the Lake County Home Wine and Beer Maker’s Festival, otherwise known as the Winefest.
A fundraiser for the Lake County Symphony Association, the event also serves as a competition for the many local home producers. Pretari took gold for their 2012 Zinfandel as well as the People’s Choice for best red wine and best wine label. Malt Konocti Mashers, a home brewers club, won three People’s Choice awards: best beer label, best Ale/IPA and best light beer — and that was just a small part of the event, held Saturday at Library Park in Lakeport.
The Winefest was an excellent opportunity for amateur wine and beer makers to receive feedback on their creations. “It’s a venue where you can take non-commercial products and give it to the public,” explained Scott Knickmeyer, a winemaker from Remembrance Vineyards. Knickmeyer has been making his own wine since 2006, though he maintained that it’s only a hobby.
Home beer and wine makers pay close attention to reactions from the crowd, which provide valuable insight. Bill Heubel of Malt Konocti Mashers, who’s been brewing his own beer for 12 years, had a number of people ask him about purchasing his beer. To their disappointment, it isn’t on store shelves, at least not yet. “When you’re an amateur giving people a taste of your product and they ask where they can buy it, that speaks volumes,” Heubel said.
Heubel wasn’t the only one to receive such a positive response. Harpe Ranch started making wine as a hobby, but thanks to a high volume of promising feedback, they’re in the process of becoming a commercial label. At Saturday’s event, a woman visiting from Tennessee left her email address and asked the winemakers to inform her when she could purchase their wine. Harpe Ranch hopes to begin selling their product in September, and the Winefest helped them get the word out. “It exposes our wine to a bunch of different people,” said winemaker Michael Howell.
Many of the beer and wine makers joked that the festival was also a great opportunity to scope out the competition. It is also a chance to show their work side by side with professionals. Names such as Wildhurst Vineyards, Rosa d’Oro Vineyards and O’Meara Bros. Brewing Company were present.
While a wide variety of wines and beers were present at the event, one thing all the makers had in common was their appreciation of the craft. “It’s like cooking,” said Michelle Shultz of Remembrance Vineyards.
Malt Konocti Mashers president Paul Lew expressed a nearly identical sentiment. “It’s a lot like cooking,” he echoed. “You know everything that’s going into it.”
Aaron Rowser, a brewing with Malt Konocti Mashers, used the cooking analogy as well, and added, “It’s always better at home.”
As with cooking, a homemade, quality finished product is reason enough to partake in wine making and beer brewing. “It’s a lot of work but it’s really rewarding,” said Howell.
Making beer or wine at home allows for a great deal of creative freedom. Rowser fermented his Hoppy Plisner in an old Gamay wine barrel, which gave the beer a unique wine-like flavor. Shultz also took a less conventional approach to her Nocino wine, which she made with green walnuts and a distilled spirit known as grappa.
“You can make whatever you can imagine,” said Lew.
Tradition can also play into wine making. For Pretari, the process is a long-standing family affair. Pretari is the family’s last name and the whole clan picks the grapes together. Winemaker David Pretari learned the ropes from his father, who taught him a traditional Italian approach to wine making. He pays homage to his father through the Pretari wine labels, which feature a photo of his dad harvesting grapes. This special touch won People’s Choice for best wine label.
Everyone with Pretari was also thrilled to win People’s Choice for best red wine. It was a sweeter award than receiving gold from the judges for their 2012 Zinfandel. “As much as the judge’s vote is [validating], the People’s Choice is even more so,” said Maria Lena of Pretari.
While some people have dreams of going commercial with their products, others are content creating wine and beer as a hobby. “It’s hard enough to make one kind of wine,” said David Pretari.
Malt Konocti Mashers, which began in response to the Winefest, proved that becoming a commercial success isn’t just a pipe dream. Tim and Alex O’Meara of O’Meara Bros. Brewing Company were part of the club before opening their brewery and Kelsey Creek Brewing owner and brewer Ron Chips helped start the club. “Most of us are doing it [brewing] as a hobby, but a lot of us have turned it into something professional,” said Lew.
But whether running a commercial label or simply enjoying a hobby, the Home Wine and Beer Maker’s Festival was a great way for winemakers and beer brewers to chat with the community about their passion. “We enjoy sharing what we’re doing with other people,” Lew said.
Jennifer Gruenke can be reached at 900-2019.
